New tool eases vets’ college transition

"Veterans"

09/08/2010

By Jenna Ross, Star Tribune
Last update: September 7, 2010 - 7:34 PM



An Army veteran who served as an aircraft electrician could get college credit for her work.

But figuring out how much credit, in which fields of study, at what college was tricky.

Until now.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has unveiled a Web-based tool to help the growing ranks of returning veterans see what their service has earned them in college credit.

Visit students.mnscu.edu/military/transfer.html to see what MnSCU programs might fit. You can also peruse possible careers and pay.

The tool, created with help from a $1.1 million federal grant, might be the only one like it in the country. Already, the U.S. Department of Education is eyeing it for a national model.

MnSCU began building it about two years ago, said Steve Frantz, longtime system director for student affairs, after asking a group of returning veterans: What do you need from us? The answer: A clearer picture of what college credit they had earned, and how it transferred.

"Then we have a number of veterans who don't even bother asking, who don't realize their training was worthy of credit," he said.

The Web tool was the public higher education system's response. It's based on military training, faculty members' analysis of how that training applies and guidelines established by the American Council on Education.

It was a knotty thing to build, and there's still work to do. The system includes hundreds of military occupational specialty codes in common areas, including law enforcement.

But if you're a Marine with a health care specialty? You're probably out of luck.

"The jobs that are rarer will come later, which is OK," Frantz said. "This is the beginning. We've created the infrastructure, and we will continue to put data in."

The tool also will incorporate new military roles and new majors, he said: "It will shrink and expand as the world does."